Good morning, traders…

Isn’t it remarkable how fast the stock market can shift?

Six weeks ago, everything looked great. Analysts were revising their price targets upwards, people were talking about “animal spirits,” and the market structure looked beautiful.

Now, headlines are screaming about “economic nuclear winter,” volatility is spiking to its highest levels since last August, and investors are starting to question everything. 

Add in that, as of Monday morning, both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 had entered bear market territory (20% off their highs) — and you’ve got a recipe for real fear in the market.

I’ve had a lot of students reach out lately. Some are just unsure of what comes next. Others are spooked — totally fair, by the way — and wondering if they should sit out for a while. 

When the tape looks like this, that kind of reaction makes sense.

But remember what Paul Atreides said in Dune: “Fear is the mind killer.”

With that in mind, let me show you why I’m not letting this fear get to me — and why you shouldn’t either. 

Don’t Panic

I don’t think this market is as broken as it feels.

Yes, we’re seeing real selling. Yes, volatility is high. But I don’t think the sky is falling. 

From where I sit, this doesn’t have the fingerprints of a structural breakdown. It doesn’t feel like something that unravels the system. 

It feels more like political tension, tactical positioning, and some short-term fear.

In other words: not a crash. Not a collapse. A moment in time that will pass.

If you’ve been with me a while, you know I always preach the same approach when volatility increases: shrink your size, shorten your timeframes, and focus on clean levels. 

The only thing that matters is how you respond to price right now. 

While many people are trying to perfectly time bottoms, I’m keeping my head down and doing what I always do — looking for OMEN Scanner bets, checking the chart for confirmation, and managing my risk. 

It’s easy to lose perspective when volatility is screaming. But some of the best trading opportunities happen in environments that feel the worst. 

But to take advantage of these opportunities, you have to do the following…

Find Your Perfect Position Size

There’s a simple way to keep trading and stay in the game without getting steamrolled by this kind of market. 

It starts with one foundational concept: position sizing.

When you’re trading a small account, the instinct is to go big. You want to speed things up, get results, and feel that win. 

But trying to swing for the fences in a market like this is how small accounts get wiped out fast. The more disciplined path is built on managing your size, trading small, and getting consistent.

In a volatile market, small trades are your gym. They give you the reps without risking your whole stack. 

They allow you to get a feel for price movement without forcing you to make emotional decisions. 

Most importantly, they help you focus on the process instead of the outcome.

Gauge Your Risk

Before you enter any trade, you need to know the exact dollar amount you’re willing to risk. 

That amount shouldn’t be based on emotion or how confident you feel — it should be based on your account size and current market conditions.

For example, if you’re trading with a $5,000 account and your risk tolerance is 5% per trade, you’re risking $250 maximum. That’s your cap. No trade should risk more than that — period. In calmer markets, you might stretch a bit more. In wild markets like the one we’re in now, you stay small.

Keep your expectations reasonable, your trades tight, and your losses small. You’re not trying to be a hero — you’re trying to stay solvent in a dangerous market. 

Know Your History

It’s easy to forget this when we’re deep in intraday moves, but the market has a memory. 

Patterns repeat. Reactions echo. Understanding that history — not just of a stock, but of the market as a whole — gives you context for what might come next.

Start with the charts. Then go deeper. What’s happened historically when volatility spiked like this? How has the market responded after trade wars, new political administrations, and geopolitical tensions? 

Pull up longer-term charts on the major indexes and answer these questions.

You’re not looking for exact predictions — you’re looking for probabilities. If you know how similar conditions played out in the past, you can prepare for what might unfold next.

The more context you bring into a trade — the more you’ve studied the chart, the catalyst, the broader environment — the more conviction you can have in your plan.

So keep your positions manageable. Know your risk. Study the past. When you combine smart risk management with historical awareness, you might just carve out a killer edge in this tape.

Happy trading,

Ben Sturgill

P.S. Most traders never see the biggest moves coming — until it’s too late. 

But back in 2022, while most traders were blindsided, one forecast led to a 503% win* on a single trade. 

Another spotted the banking crisis nine months early and turned it into 860%.* 

Now, Tim Bohen is sounding the alarm on what could be an even bigger move. But this time, it’s not about boring banks — it’s all about AI.

Join Bohen THIS THURSDAY, April 10 for a “FINAL AI WARNING” to walk you through his forecast — and break down the trading blueprint he believes could hand in-the-know traders an undeniable edge. 

It’s free to attend, but seats are limited — Click here to claim yours before it’s too late.

*Past performance does not indicate future results